


Ripple Effect

by AXEe



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Fix-It: s02e13 Doomsday, F/F, F/M, Gen, Thirteen helps Twelve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-26 04:36:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16674625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: He shouldn't be here.   He definitely shouldn't be here, except he could never resist when it came to Rose Tyler.Except now there's an annoyingly perky blonde standing in front of him, and it's not Rose Tyler...





	Ripple Effect

**Author's Note:**

> This just popped into my head this morning and begged to be written. So enjoy :=)

******

The café was nice, with an outdoor patio, although it was too cold today to use it. Due to that the old man with the guitar was the only person out there,

Idly stirring his horribly overpriced coffee, The Doctor glanced across the street towards the bench overlooking the Thames. He shouldn’t be here.

He _definitely_ shouldn’t be here. Especially not now, with his regeneration rearing its ugly head. But he could never resist when it came to Rose Tyler, she lured him in like a siren from ancient myth. It was early in her timestream (comparatively, from his perspective), she hadn’t met him yet, but she had just thrown Jimmy Stone to the proverbial curb and now sat on the bench overlooking the Thames.

She was bundled up in a plush-looking winter coat, with matching gloves and knit cap, and despite the obvious cold seemed to be high spirits, happily chatting on her cell phone, which The Doctor was eternally thankful for as it gave him an excuse not to go up and talk to her, he’d been in murky waters when the last him had decided to be her math tutor.

“This seat taken?”

Broken out of his pleasant experience, he looked over and glowered at the grinning blonde who had plopped herself down across from him, giving her a good does of The Eyebrows, which only earned a snort of laughter from her

“Oh, I kinda miss being you,” she grinned “so grumpy. And so skinny! You really are a skeleton man, aren’t you?”

He was about to retort when something caught his attention about her. Frowning, he leaned forward, studying her

“No” he shook his head. It couldn’t be…

She nodded, her head moving like it was on a spring as she stole the plate of cookies that the café had given him with his coffee (even though he hadn’t ordered them). Stuffing one into her mouth, the woman smirked as she nodded towards Rose

“She’s really something, isn’t she?” she mused

“Yes, she is,” he agreed “why are you here?” he asked

Her smile dimmed, the cookie in her hand freezing halfway to its destination. Popping her lips, she glanced between it and him, as if she couldn’t decide which to deal with first: eat the cookie or answer the question. Finally sighing, she dropped the cookie and leaned forward on the table

“You can you save her you know” she told him

He scoffed

“For how long?” he wondered “she’s Human” he reminded

“Is she?”

He stopped, the spoon he’d been using to listlessly stir the coffee clattering against the cup as his future self nodded slowly

“Think about it,” she began “she took the whole of the time vortex into her head, and not did she survive but she _used_ it, she became a virtual god. Do you really think that she wouldn’t change because of it?”

He opened his mouth, paused, closed it, and went back to stirring his now ice cold coffee

“You’re talking about changing history” he pointed out

“So?” she scoffed “we change history twenty times before breakfast. Actually even before ‘before breakfast’,” she stood up, her long blue coat rustling in the breeze “you’re choice” she told him

“Well if you have all the answers why don’t you do it?” he demanded

She glanced back over her shoulder at him

“Who says I haven’t?” she challenged. She grinned and tapped her wrist as if pointing to an imaginary watch as she rounded the corner.

Now alone again, he glanced back over at where Rose was sitting, feeling his hearts seize in his chest at the sight of her. He glanced back at where the other him (her) had been sitting before he pushed his coffee cup away and abruptly stood up, grabbing his guitar and determinately marched towards to the TARDIS before he lost his nerve…

******

The howling wind from the Void was so strong that Rose couldn’t hold on any longer. Glancing back at The Doctor she felt her grip finally give way and felt herself fall, tumbling through the air towards…

The TARDIS?

Gasping, she tumbled through the TARDIS doors, landing hard with a pained groan on a hard metal floor. Wincing, she looked up, startled by the gleaming sliver and chrome interior as a tall figure in black hurried around the console, the TARDIS taking off for parts unknown…

******

He didn’t look at her once as she tumbled through the TARDIS doors, because if he did he wouldn’t be able to let her go. Settling the TARDIS for a random destination, he charged out the doors the moment it landed, finding himself on a rocky beach

“Beaches,” he muttered disgustedly “why is it always beaches? Don’t like beaches”

Despite his grumbling he found himself lowering himself to sit down on the rocky ground, steadfastly refusing to look back at the TARDIS even as he heard the doors creak open and a set of footprints softly approach.

He heard Rose take a breath as she lowered herself down next to him

An oddly comfortable, yet still awkward, silence fell over them

“Where are we?” Rose suddenly wondered

He shrugged, still refusing to look at her

“Don’t know really,” he admitted “set the coordinates for random”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her nod

“So…are you after him or…?”

“Bit of a clerical error with this one” he answered

“Uh-huh,” she nodded “Doctor…why won’t you look at me?” she asked softly

“Don’t like looking at people” he dismissed

He tensed when felt her hand slowly close around his own. Swallowing, he finally dared to look up at her, trying to memorize every detail of her face as a spasm of pain hit him.

Wincing, he pulled away from her, trying to hide his hands, but it was futile, she’d seen the golden glow of energy pulsing under his skin.

“How long do you have?” she asked as she caught him, steadying him and guiding him back towards the TARDIS

“Not long,” he admitted “been trying to hold it off, actually”

“What? Why?” she asked as he struggled to reset the return trip to bring her back

“Long story,” he dismissed as the TARDIS landed. Feeling the pain ebb slightly, he straightened up and nodded towards the doors “there you are, Torchwood, Canary Wharf,” he explained “better hurry, don’t want to keep pretty boy waiting,”

Hesitating, she lingered, glancing between the doors and him, before she suddenly turned back and pulled him into a hug

“Oh, I…don’t do hugs anymore,” he muttered, even as he pulled her close “ _oh…Rose…_ ” he sighed as she pulled back and, after a moment’s pause, leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek

Smiling sadly, she stepped back

“Good luck” she breathed

“Likewise,” he nodded “Rose?”

She paused

“Make sure he doesn’t take you for granted” he instructed

Chuckling, she nodded as she quietly slipped out the doors. Now alone, he pulled the scanner over and smiled bitter sweetly at the sight of Rose and his tenth self fiercely embracing

Time to go, he thought as he sent the TARDIS into the vortex. Leaning against the console tiredly, he smiled as new memories began to appear, memories of Rose by his side throughout the rest of his tenth life and into his eleventh life. She was by his side in the confession dial, on Gallifrey when he’d pulled Clara from the moment of her death.

And she was with him now, standing by the console, as youthful as ever as she smiled sadly at him as the timeline finally settled

Smiling sadly back at her, he chuckled

“Maybe another go won’t be so bad,” he remarked “one more life won’t kill anyone…well…except me” he chuckled

She chuckled back as she caught him and helped him down to the floor

“Any words of advice for the next one?” he wondered

She smirked

“Always be kind,” she began “never be cruel”

“And never eat pears” he interrupted

“No,” she laughed as she absently stroked his hair “never eat pears. Um, let’s see…laugh hard, always. Oh…,” she brightened “and _never_ tell anyone your real name” she whispered

“No one would understand it anyway,” he dismissed as he staggered to his feet “well…,” he smirked at her “almost no one”

She smiled and leaned in, placing a gentle kiss to his lips, the salty taste of her tears lingering as she pulled away

“I always hate this part” she muttered

“You should try it from this end,” he scoffed, which earned a snort of laughter from her. Reaching out, he tangled his fingers with hers, wishing he could keep a tight hold on her as he changed

“Looks like this it” he remarked

“Looks like,” she nodded tearfully as she finally dropped his hand “ _Doctor..._ ”

He nodded in silent understanding

“ _I let you go_ ” he breathed as the burst of energy enveloped him.

The last sight he saw before he changed was her face wreathed in golden light, and he wished he could be a little more like her this time around…

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought :=)


End file.
